GENTIANA. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



GERANIUM. 



575 



Gr. septemfida (Crested Gentian} &. 

 lovely plant, bearing on stems 6 to 12 

 in. high clusters of cylindrical flowers 

 widening towards the mouth, and a 

 beautiful blue-white inside, and greenish- 

 brown outside, having between each of 

 the larger segments one smaller and 

 finely cut. In the variety cordifolia leaves 

 are more cordate, but it grows about only 

 half the height of the type, with a much 

 neater habit. The dwarf form, again, 

 seems to subdivide itself when raised 

 from seed, and I have got plenty of plants 

 with very small leaves flowering at a height 

 of only 3 in. J. W. One of the most 

 desirable species for the rock-garden, 

 and thriving best in moist sandy peat. 

 Division. Caucasus. 



Gr. verna ( Vernal Gentian}. One of the 

 most beautiful of alpine flowers, thriving in 

 deep sandy loam, with abundance of water 

 during the warm and dry months, and 

 perfect exposure to the sun. The absence 

 of these conditions is a frequent cause of 

 failure. It thrives wild in cool pastures 

 and uplands, where it is rarely subjected 

 to such drought as it is in a parched 

 border. Grit or broken limestone may be 

 mingled with the soil ; if there be plenty of 

 sand this is not essential ; a few pieces 

 half buried in the ground will tend to 

 prevent evaporation and guard the plant 

 till it has taken root. It is so dwarf, 

 that if weeds be allowed to grow round 

 it they soon injure it, and tall plants over- 

 shadow or overrun it. In moist districts 



Gentiana verna. 



it may be grown in a deep sandy loam, on 

 the front edge of a border carefully sur- 

 rounded by half-plunged stones. Well- 

 rooted plants should be secured to begin 



with, as failure often occurs from imper- 

 fectly-rooted, half-dead plants. It is 

 abundant in mountain pastures on the 

 Alps, in Asia, and also in Britain. 



There are other Gentians in cultivation,, 

 such as G. caucasica, adscendens pneumo- 

 nanthe, cruciata, affinis, algida, arvernensis,. 

 crimta, and Andrewsi. Most Gentians may 

 be raised from seed, but it is slow work. 



GERANIUM (Cranesbill}. The hardy 

 Geraniums are usually stout perennials 

 and natives of the fields and woods of 

 Europe and Britain, though some are 



A group of hardy Geraniums. 



dainty alpine flowers. The handsomest of 

 them is probably G. armenum. It is 

 sometimes 3 ft. in height, flowering in 

 midsummer abundantly, and sometimes 

 till late in autumn to a less degree. Its 

 flowers are large and handsome. It re- 

 quires only ordinary garden soil, and is 

 well suited for the mixed border, or for 

 grouping with the finer perennials in beds 

 or on the margins of shrubberies. Some 

 other kinds are showy, and the best of 

 these are : the dwarf G. sanguineum ; its 

 beautiful Lancashire variety, with rose- 

 coloured blossoms finely marked with dark 

 lines ; G. pratense, a tall kind, with large 

 purple flowers ; and its pure white variety. 

 There is also an intermediate form with 

 white and purple flowers. The Caucasian 

 species, G. gymnocaulon and ibericum, 

 are beautiful, with their rich purple 

 blossoms, 2 in. across, delicately pen- 

 cilled with black. G. platypetalum, 

 striatum, ibericum, and Lamberti are 

 suited for shrubbery borders, and most 

 of them are free and vigorous enough 

 for naturalisation. G. Endressi, with 

 light rose-coloured blossoms, is also 

 very attractive. All the above-mentioned 



